For nearly a century the Sewall family of Bath, Maine, managed a fleet of more than 100 merchant vessels. At the turn of the 20th century, international shipping was competitive and indeed dangerous; this history chronicles the era through the correspondence of the captains. Excerpts from their letters appear here, forming a treasure trove of stories about the voyages of Sewall ships—surly crews, mutinies, plagues, shipwrecks, cannibal isles, destitute widows, and more, along with dozens of archival, black and white photographs.